Every car in England has iconic feature axed in 'end of an era'

If you’re in the market for a new car, you’ll have to do without a built-in CD player from now on, according to consumer watchdog Which? which has shed light on the death of the CD.

All cars have had one feature AXED - in a brutal and end-of-an-era blow. If you’re in the market for a new car, you’ll have to do without a built-in CD player from now on, according to consumer watchdog Which? which has shed light on the death of the CD.

The body said: "We scoured the new cars offered by all mainstream car brands in the UK to look for any remaining stalwarts. After countless hours of research, we can announce the death of the in-car CD player."

Up until just a few months ago, a CD player came as standard in Subaru's Forester mid-sized SUV. But the car maker confirmed to Which? that the model was recently updated for the 2024 model year, and as part of that, the CD player was removed, bringing the Forester in line with the rest of the brand’s range.

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"‘Very disappointed that there was no option to have a CD player fitted," said a Ford Focus Estate (2018 to present) owner, while a Dacia Sandero Hatchback (2013-21) driver commented: "I bemoan the lack of a CD player.".

Sales of CDs rose last year for the first time in two decades, helping to lift the UK’s total spending on music to the highest level in years. Sales of CDs rose 2%, as a result of price inflation and the success of more expensive exclusive albums being snapped up by music buffs, some of whom are opting for the still relatively cheap CD format instead of, or as well as, vinyl.

While the number of CDs sold continued to fall – by almost 7% – that marked a dramatic improvement from the 20% slide in 2022 and was the lowest rate of decline since 2015. “It’s about collectors discovering CDs,” the ERA chief executive, Kim Bayley, said. “CDs are a digital format you can keep forever, and that’s attractive when people are subscribing across lots of different services. There are a lot of exclusives and memorabilia.”